History spotlight: Man influential in building fleet was denied trophy

Dobbins dispatched elsewhere during Battle of Lake Erie

Jul. 19, 2013

Written by

Catharine Hadley

Staff writer

While most people associate the building of the fleet involved in the Battle of Lake Erie with Commander Oliver Hazard Perry, several men were influential in the task.

Author Max Rosenberg wrote about those men in his book, “The Building of Perry’s Fleet on Lake Erie 1812-1813.”

Navigator Daniel Dobbins was one such man, in part because he had been captured by British forces and could give officials in Washington an accurate description of the Lake Erie conditions — both physical and military.

“Strangely, enough, the man so responsible for the success of the building did not participate in the Battle of Lake Erie. Dobbins commanded the Ohio, the tenth vessel of the fleet,” Rosenberg wrote.

“A few days previous to the engagement, Perry dispatched the Ohio to Erie for food and munitions. While it was absent, the battle occurred. In 1814, when the prize money list was published and shares announced, Dobbins’ name was omitted. He felt quite indignant, believing that a part was rightfully his for the magnificent service rendered.”

The man who had worked tirelessly to procure supplies for the building of the fleet was only successful in procuring his share of the prize money after he asked for help from influential friends in the navy and in Washington.

He was still denied a trophy of honor.

“However, Dobbins failed to receive one of the swords presented by Congress to all commissioned officers in the Battle of Lake Erie,” Rosenberg wrote.